Illuminated vanity box



E. LANGERMAN.

ILLUMINATED VANITY BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, I922.

FIG.

nvvE/wm? EZLA/VEE'RMAN Patented Oct Patented @ct. 2d, 1922 @NHTE meantrarer-tr @FFHQEQ EARL LANGERMAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

rnnuiamarnnvamrz' BOX.

Application filed May 23,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EARL LANGERMAN, a citizen of the United States,residin at San Francisco, in the county of San l i'ancisco and State ofCalifornia have invented new and useful Improvements in IlluminatedVanity Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements inv vanity boxes, toilet cases,ladies purses and the like and has particular reference to a novel andinexpensive means for illuminating said boxes or like containers and formaking possible an effective use of the mirror contained in the box, intheaters and other places where the light is-insufiicient to permit ofthe proper use of the mirror.

An object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed means ofillumination for vanity boxes, which maybe readily incorporated in theboxes without necessitating materially changing theconstruction thereof.

An object is to provide in an illuminated vanity box of the characterdescribed a novel and easily accessible circuit closer.

The invention further includes simple and efficacious apparatus of thecharacter de scribed comprising numerous details of construction andcombinations which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The invention possesses other advantages I and features some of which,with the fore going will be set forth at length in the followlngdescription'where I shall outline in full that form of the inventionwhich I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying andforming a part of the vpresent specification. In-said drawings 1 haveshown one form of the construction of HIV invention, but it is to'beunderstood that I do not limit myself to such form since the inventionas expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawing: Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of avanity box constructed in accordance with.

myinvention. 4

v Fig. 2 represents afragmentary sectional View illustrating'the mannerof mounting the battery and circuit closer.

Fig. 3 1s a cross sectional view through] the box.

. der side of the lid is taken up by the mirror lid on the inner sidethereof and employ a .in place between the bottom wall 13, end

bers l6 and 17 adapted to en age the usual strip 21. The stri 21 issecured 1922. Serial no. 563,178.

vention illustrated in "the accompanying drawing, 1 designates a boxorcaseof the type commonly used as vanity boxes, having a hinged lid orcover 2. In this box or case so are contained numerous toilet articlessuch as usually constitute the contents of vanity cases or boxes, and inthe lid 2 is mounted a mirror 3. The mirror 3 is constructed so thatsubstantially the entire area of the un- 5 and the mirror will beavailable for use when the lid is raised as shown in Fig. 1.

' I preferably mount an electric li ht socket 4 in the lid 2 adjacentthe outer e ge of the 79 small incandescent lamp 5 which is mounted inthe socket... The upper edge of'the mirror is cut away or notched as at6, sothat the notch will conform closely to the socket and permit of theforward projection of the socket and lamp in'a position over the mir--ror. By provision of the notch, a mirror fitting substantially theentire inner surface of the box may be used.

Mounted ad acent one endgwall 7 of the box is a battery holder generallydesignated 8. This holder is in the form of a flap made up of'hingedlyconnected sections or strips 9, 10, 11 and 12. Each section may comprlsea5 a strip of cardboard encased in a cloth or fabric covering. The strip9 is comparatively narrow and glued or otherwlse secured to the bottom13 of the box at a point spaced from the wall 7. The strip 10extendsupwardly from thestrip 9 and the strip 11 extends horizontally towardsthe wall 7. The strip 12 extends upwardly pare allel to thewall 7 and isadapted to be against said wall. By means of a snap fastener 14, thestrip 12 is removably fastened to the wall. A small dry battery 15 isheld wall 7 and holder -8.

Fixed to the end wall'7 are contact mem- 10o contact points at the endsof t e battery and at the same time hold the battery in place. Leadingfrom the contact point members 16 and 17 are conductors 18 and 19. Thecorn ductor 18 extends behind the lining 20 on the inner'side of thewall 7 of the box to and is connected with a leaf sprin contact y afastening 22 to the wall 7 and at its outer end are is normally s acedfrom a contact point 23 pi'ovided in t e wall 7. v To prevent the lin-30 -hind the mirror.

ing 20, which is usually stretched comparatively tight, from engagingthe contact member 21 and moving it into engagement with the contact 23,I provide a guard member 24 which is of greater thickness than thecontact member 21 and is secured in any suitable manner to the wall 7. Alongitudinal slot 2:") is provided in the member 24.- and receives thecontact member 21 therein, in such manner that said member 21 is spacedfrom the lining 20 but may be forced inwardly so as to engage thecontact 23 by pressin on the lining at a point over the slot. T 1econtact means herein described is located preferably, near the rear sideof the box so that in holding the lid open, with the thumb extendinginto the box, ready access is had to the contact means or circuitcloser.

The other conductor 19 extends behind the lining 20 on the rear Wall ofthe box to a coiled spring 27. A conductor 28 leads from the contactmember 23 behind the lining 20 to a similar coiled spring 29. Thesprings 27 and 29 are secured adjacent opposite ends to the lid and boxrespectively in such manner that they will be twisted when the lid israised.

Extending from the springs are conductors 30 and 31 which lead to thelamp socket, said conductors being concealed be By the use of thesesprings the lid may be moved into and out of closed position withoutinanyway affecting the electrical connect-ion between the lid and thebox, since the springs will readily give and expand upon movement of thelid. The springs are concealed in the lining 20 which extends from therear wall of the box into the lid to a point behind the mirror.

By having the battery holder secured at its lower endto the bottom wallall possibility of pins or other small articles collecting under samewill"be eliminated. The battery may be easily removed by unfastening thesnap fastener and moving the holder so that access to the battery ishad. The member 8 in being made of hinged sections provides for thismovement whereby ready access to the battery-may be had.

With-the device of my invention itwill be seen that the battery which isthe largest part of the electrical apparatus will, be mounted so as totake up little or no room and such that it may be readily taken out forreplacement of a new battery as desired.

The contact mechanism of my invention, that is the switch, is concealedand the wires are likewise concealed so that in its entirety themechanism of the invention is hardly perceptible when opening the case,

exceptfor the electric light which projects at the up or or outer edgeof the mirror. When it is desired to illuminate the box and mirror, theoperator grasps the box as shown in Fig. 1 and by pressing inwardly onthe lining will move the contact 21'to engage with the contact 23 andthereby close the circuit for the lamp.

One of the main features of the invention is to provide for illuminationas desired with mechanism which may be readily incorporated in purses,vanity boxes and the like, of various construction, the said mechanismbeing inconspicuous, inexpensive and not liable to getting out of orderor becoming deranged.

Iclaim:

1. The combination with a vanity box having a hinged lid, of a mirrorsupported by the lid, an electric lamp carried by the lid and projectinoutwardly from the mirror, a source of e ectrical energy mounted in thebox, conductors leadingfrom said source to the electric lamp, a circuitcloser mounted in one wall of the box and accessible from a pointinteriorly of the box, said circuit closer being responsive to apressure from the thumb or fingers of a hand and a lining in the boxextending over and concealing the circuit.

2. The combination with a vanity box having a hinged lid, of a mirrorsupported by the lid, an electric lamp carried by the lid and projectingoutwardly from the mirror, a source of electrical energy mounted in thebox, conductors leading from said source to the electric lamp, a circuitcloser mounted in one wall of the box and accessible from a pointinteri'orly of the box,

said circuit closer being responsive to a tors leading from the springsto the electric light, a source of electrical energy, means forconcealing the source of electrical energy within the box, conductorsleading from the source of electrical energy to the springs and acircuit closer within the box 351d associated with said last namedconduc- EARL LANGERMAN.

